Future of the Library

We as a class and in the profession have been spending a lot of time talking about the future of libraries. What will the libraries of the future look like? What kind of service will be provided? Who will be working there and what skills will they need? Will libraries even continue to exist as a physical place? I have always had a difficult time looking into the future; when I graduated with my BA I hadn’t even looked for a job, I hadn’t thought about it yet it seemed too far in the future. Change in the library is not an isolated thing but just a part of a larger continuum. We need to look at greater social trends together with trends in information science to better understand where libraries are going.

Having now been forced to think about the topic of the future of libraries and in my readings, a few things have piqued my interest. The first is what has been dubbed the Digital Divide. A 2000 government report indicates a steady increase in the number of people who have access to computers and the internet at home. (Agency, 2000) However, it is clear that there is still a disparity in the U.S. not only along income and racial lines but also due to age and disabilities, as anyone currently working in a library, especially a public library, can tell you.

One of the missions of libraries has been to promote and increase literacy. That mission has now changed to include the digital as well as print literacy. Before I started working at a University I assumed that all student age people were computer and internet whizzes. Having gone to University myself before the widespread use of the internet I felt I was way behind. The first database search I ever did was in 2006 when my car was totaled and I wanted to get into Consumer Reports; I had to have one of the reference librarians walk me through it. Now I’m giving one-on-one tutorials on how to use the computer catalog and trying to explain how the article in a database is the same as if the student copied it out of a journal. It is unfortunate that the school system does not seem to have taken up the torch of information literacy.

Another thing that came to mind as I was contemplating and reading articles about the future of libraries is the effect the energy crisis will have. At a time when people will need public resourced the most will be a time when libraries themselves will face their own economic troubles and the potential for funding cuts will increase. In fact this has already started in some areas. In an editorial in the Library Journal, Francine Fialkoff says when considering this dichotomy:
Potential cuts couldn't come at a worse time, not just for those who use libraries regularly but for the society as a whole. Library by Design, the supplement accompanying this issue [of Library Journal], shows libraries poised to take a leading role both in building green facilities and in educating their communities about sustainable living, as the reality of climate change filters throughout our culture. In fact, instead of lowering the bar for library funding, libraries should be receiving a bigger piece of the pie. (Fialkoff, 2008)

The impending energy crisis also begs the question what will happen to all the electronic information if access to electricity becomes more difficult or cost prohibitive? Beyond the threat of complete system regression due to lack of oil is the very real and inevitable problem of format. As our technology changes we can still access the information in books but may not be able to retrieve information for older storage formats.

Currently the ALA posts several documents on its website outlining the mission, values, and beliefs of the organization. One of these is Libraries: An American Value, which states “Libraries in America are cornerstones of the communities they serve. Free access to the books, ideas, resources, and information in America’s libraries is imperative for education, employment, enjoyment, and self-government.” (American Library Association, 2006) I think that this holds true now as much as ever. Modern American libraries have their roots in the ideals of democracy and I would like to think libraries and library personal will continue to uphold their values and continue their mission no matter what changes the future hold.


Agency Group 04. (2000). Falling through the net: Toward digital inclusion. FDCH Regulatory Intelligence Database, Retrieved June 1, 2008, from Military & Government Collection database.

American Library Association. (2006, June). "Libraries: An American value". Retrieved May 25, 2008, fromhttp://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/americanvalue/librariesamerican.cfm

Fialkoff, F. (2008, May 15). Libraries are not a frill. Library Journal, p. 8. Retrieved May 28, 2008, from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts database.